Worries on Windies team

Page Tools

Cricket Australia will consider replacing the West Indies with
an alternative team in this summer's triangular one-day series,
should the damaging sponsorship dispute between the Caribbean board
and the players' association continue.

On a day when Trinidad's sports minister threatened to send the
West Indies' youth team to Australia instead of the polarised
senior squad, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland
would not rule out the possibility of searching for another team to
play against Australia and Pakistan.

"We strongly believe that international cricket is about the
best teams playing the best teams," Sutherland said.

"If it's anything less than that, then we've got a problem with
it."

India, the only country without touring commitments during the
one-day series, had yet to be invited to participate, Sutherland
said.

"We haven't considered that and I think that's a reflection of
where we're at," he said. "We understand the West Indies are due
here, they understand they're due here and we expect them to turn
up.

"I don't want to get too far ahead.

"The reality is that these disputes happen and they get sorted
out.

"There have been occasions where they haven't, but I would
expect this to be sorted out."

Brian Lara is heading a group of 16 senior players, including
Dwayne Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, who have refused to
sign a contract that threatens personal contracts with rival
companies.

Accordingly, the West Indies board dropped all 16 players for
the Australian one-day series, while the nine other members of the
original 25-man squad - who signed the board's contract - were
retained.

Sutherland said a weakened touring team would adversely affect
gate-takings, which, in turn, would lead to a downturn in revenue
and pay cuts for Australia's elite players.